This is posted so the garage door supplier can have a look at the opening. We had ordered the door, but the color was not available, so the architect suggested that we order a taller door, since there was an error when the building was raised up, they forgot to lift the garage floor also. Soooo, this makes for a very tall garage, which is not really bad and will definately look different once we get the header for the door in place.
This is Ed Ranegar our trusted crane owner and operator. He owns Mountainside Crane Service and handles the walls like a baby. He is carefully around the carpenters and his truck is very cool, everything done by computer and hydraulics. Just push the buttons. But it is so delicate while it is working. A real wonder.
Getting ready to raise the west wall of the second floor.
Crane sets up to lift the wall
The west wall is going up. The holes in the wall are the windows in the bathrooms.
This is the east wall fully in place.
Start of raising the second floor walls. This is the first section of the east wall going into place.
Second section of the east wall being placed.
Mike doing something in what looks like a very dangerous situation. This is the window in Robbin's upstairs apartment, What a view.
Another section of the wall being braced by Dave on the left and David on the right.
Steel stablizer beam for south facing balcony. The winds in the Boulder Mountains can get as high as 150 mph. Sounds like hurricane strength to me, but they are not sustained. 150 mph is the new wind code in Nederland. 
One of the steel joints.
Overall picture of the salon with the second floor floor joists in place for the apartment in the south end. Note the ADA bathroom and the height of the windows. These are celerstory windows which come directly off the ceiling. The view from inside is incredible as you are looking directly at the sky. Also the light source is high so they light is very diffused.
Closeup of the floor joists for the second floor from the salon area.
The welder was here to install the steel columns in the building. This one is in the middle of the salon and is just another obstacle that we have to design around, but I think it will work. We are meeting with the designer this morning.
The welder in his full equipment and it was very hot this day.
The front of the salon with the steel in place.
Another picture of the mended beam. Mike and the architect have agreed that it is stronger than before. As my son says, the old steel stretcher worked again.
This is the framing for part of the second floor. Mike has lined up all the wall framing studs with the floor joists.
Another view of the problem with the stairs to the garage, which was worked out with the architect today.
More second floor framing pictures, showing who many directions the floor joist go in on the second floor.
Mike showing us the repair to the steel beam that was mistakenly cut too short by one of his carpenters. It was repaired by the welder and checked by the architect and appears to be stronger than before. This was the subject of a lot of gossip during last week, as Mike was very upset and it is a very small town, so any show of anger or frustration is the subject of conversation for days.
Mike finished the stairs on Sunday, and they really came out nicely. The rise is not too steep and the tread is very comfortable. Easy to climb.
They also took out the supports for the second floor and put in the final piece of steel column in the salon area. So now we have a much better idea of the space and how it will be arranged. Thursday morning Robbin and I are meeting with the kitchen designer and cabinet maker to work out the details. They will also do all the laminate work for the cabinets in the salon.
Exterior view of the garage with the deck in place and the wing wall. We are still working with redesigning the garage floor and the stairs that lead from the garage to the hallway on the first floor. There was a mistake with the garage floor when the building was raised up, they did not raise the floor, but it can be worked out.
Sterling Component Systems are the manufacturer of the trusses.
Another shot of the truck delivering
Preparing for the place to off load
Trusses off loaded and set down like a baby
I was over at Nederland Feed talking to Rich when we looked up and coming down the street were our roof trusses. Not in the front of the picture is a carving of a dog head. Another artist who moved to town recently is a wood carver and he is further west on Second street. You can see his carvings all over town, as everyone is buying something.
Better picture of the trusses arriving, as he prepares to off load
Since we are very cramped for space on this property it was a very difficult off loading, but the driver was very skilled and managed to get the trusses mostly on our property.
Hopefully the trusses will not remain and the ground for more than a week, as Mike still has to build the walls of the second floor before then can be installed.
This week they started the decking for the second floor underlayment.
Some of the connection of the floor joists to the steel for the rear deck.
Front of the shop with carpenters putting up the outside of the front deck. 
Adam from Arch 11, the architect, going over the prints and verifying that the steel was in correctly. We passed with flying colors.
View of the crane truck lifting the second piece of steel
Another shoot of the first piece of steel being put into place
Long view of crane
Wheels of the crane are off the ground while it is working
Monday afternoon the crane came back to lift the steel onto the second floor. This piece is over the garage. The worker directing the beam is Chris Smith, Mike Smith's son.
The crane operator gently lowers the beam into the pockets that the carpenters have made in the walls to hold the beam securely.,
Alonger view of the steel coming down for the garage.
The steel is directed into the pocket.
I have been asked to paint during the Eldora Garden Tour this coming Saturday. I went out to one of the gardens this morning and it was spectacular. I am really looking forward to this experience. Here I am at the rushing creek that runs through Eldora.
I went on this short hike with Nikki, the manicurist and pedicurists from Mountain Rose Hair Care. I was so very pretty out in Eldora, which is where Nikki lives.
This is one of the gardens on the property that we visited today. The garden tour will benefit a Peace Group, will let you know exactly the name tomorrow.
Closer view of the garden. There are at least twelve of this raised gardens with exquisite flowers, lupins, bleeding heart, columbines to die for. All over this area the columbines are going crazy. I have never had much success raising columbines, but they are wild here and seem to flourish. Will post more flower pictures in the next post. 
Mike Smith working very hard to get the framing of the walls ready for the crane the next day. It was very hot with no wind, so very hard work for all the crew.
Bo, Mike's dog is very hot also and could use some shade.
The walls are being laid out for the workers to build.
I have finally made to Nederland to see the construction first hand. First thing is putting in the floor joists. This is the layout for the salon. The steel beam is in the middle of the floor and provides support for the first floor as well as transfers weight from the second floor when it is built.
This picture shows how a floor joist is hung from what is called the shoe. 
Behind the pile of rocks we see David and Chris ( Mike Smith's son working hard at cutting some of the lumber for the framing.
This is Brendon, who came Michigan to help Mike with this project. He is an experienced carpenter and we are very happy to have him on board. He and his wife Gemma are living with Mike. Gemma actually found this blog on Google search.
Tuesday the forms were removed from the foundation and we can not get an idea of what the building is going to look like.
This photo shows the knee wall in the front of the shop. The smooth cement will be exposed and windows will go above it. The rough looking cement below will be covered with dirt. The door to the shop is facing the fence.
This is the east side of the building. Eventually there will be a porch here for the private entrance. But it takes a bit of imagination to envision what will be happening. The angle of this phone reflects the 3D image on the introduction, just as a point of reference.
This is the rear of the building from the alley. The entrance to the garage is on the right side and you are looking at the wall of the entrance to the private residence and a hallway. But it will be more visible in weeks to come when the framing starts.
Unfortunately, the water system in Nederland sprung a BIG LEAK. They were losing 80,000 gallons of water a day. The town has asked everyone to please CONSERVE WATER, till they can fix the leak. 
Wednesday evening around 8:15, Robbin had a chance to go over to the side and take some pictures from the last several days. 
The lilacs are blooming and the cement trucks have arrived to pour our footers.
Don't know their names but they work for our concrete company Tomas Construction. They are waiting to get to work pouring.
The cement truck is pouring concrete into the pumper to pump to the farthest part of the building.
